Fórum Krásná práce – a platform for strengthening individuals and institutions in the field of traditional crafts, supporting their networking, and developing interdisciplinary cooperation

Project facts

Project promoter:
Cooperative Work, a Foundation(CZ)
Project Number:
CZ-CULTURE-0074
Status:
Completed
Donor Project Partners:
Jan Michl OrdPluss Org.(NO)
Other Project Partners
Department of Product Design
Faculty of Art and Design(CZ)
Department of Product Design
Faculty of Fine Arts(CZ)
Product Design
Academy of Arts
Architecture and Design in Prague(CZ)
The Studio of Product Design at the Department of Multimedia Communication
UTB Zlin(CZ)
Programme:

Description

The 18-month project aims to establish an online platform (website/social network) that will connect experienced craftsmen with stakeholders in the area of tourism and product design, interested public and possible successors. We contribute to a professionalization of individuals working in the field of traditional crafts and we raise awareness about this topic. We will create a user-friendly virtual environment for artisans to present their products, share their stories and express their needs. The main output - a social network - is a format close to the young generation, therefore it is a perfect way to reach them and arouse their interest in traditions and crafts. In collaboration with 1 Norwegian expert and 4 partner art colleges, a collection of design objects will be created by master craftsmen together with product design students.

In the area of connecting crafts and design, we will use the experience of the Norwegian partner who, due to his background, has the ability to compare the situation in both countries and bring the Norwegian best practice to the project. 

The project is a response to the fact that after the demise of the Krásná jizba and ÚLUV, the bearers of traditional crafts lost a linking body that disseminated information about their work and thus effectively supported the production and sale of their products.

The project is part of the long-term project "Krásná práce", which works to reintegrate crafts and folk production into the contemporary culture of the Czech Republic, to make the work of the masters of crafts more visible, to network them and to connect them to the young generation from which potential successors are recruited.

Through the work of our Foundation and the project, we are reopening the topic that maintaining folk crafts cannot be done by preserving traditional morphology or by one-off actions, but only by systematic care that would make folk handicraft production part of the contemporary culture.

Summary of project results

The project enabled to:
- map the area of folk crafts in the Czech Republic (techniques, sen. craftsmen + their creation), presentation
as part of tourism industry
- connect actors (craftsmen, designers, design students of 4 art universities) + present creation (esp.
through the new interactive web platform)
- introduce traditional Czech techniques + craftsmen to design new products with  students
- organize the show Krásná práce 2022 to present this area to experts + the general public

- mapping: the situation of trad. crafts, techniques+ players, incl. needs analysis
- students 4 art universities acquainted with trad. crafts + techniques, then developed/created new
products in collaboration with master craftsmen
- craftsmen connected with domestic tourismus players
- exhibition Krásná práce 2022, presenting the collaboration of designers + students of product
design with craftsmen
- new interactive web platform developed, connecting players, presenting activities of KP etc.
Activities had a synergistic effect: mapping the situation, connecting senior craftsmen + designers
and university design students (VŠUP in Prague, UJEP in Ústí n. Labem, TU in Brno, UTB in Zlín), new
products development + presentation (with strong medical support). The web platform enables to
present players, their activities, networking, introduces events in the domestic tourism.

The project contributed to the program goal, i.e. to strengthen the ec. development through support of cooperation in within the CCI, strengthened network cooperation + presented tradit.
crafts + indiv. players. Students of 4 art universities introduced to techniques and crafts, master craftsmen presented on the platform. FB continues its cooperation with universities, students + teachers long-term motivated to create in this field. Web platform will be used + exhibition held every year.

Summary of bilateral results

Cooperation with the Norwegian partner went according to plan: prof. Jan Michl presented his lecture Folk art and design, thereby providing the students with a theoretical and historical background to the topic and for their collaboration with the masters of the craft.

Information on the projects funded by the EEA and Norway Grants is provided by the Programme and Fund Operators in the Beneficiary States, who are responsible for the completeness and accuracy of this information.